Your England XI

[BWFC_Insane]

Henderson? Not for me. Soft as shit.

I think it is a toss up between Vardy and Kane. Kane better all round but Vardy's pace and work-rate might be better for international football.

[Prufrock]

Can't not play Kane. I love Vardy, I really do, but Harry Kane is the real deal. Like Shearer with pace. Leads the line, works hard, scores all types of goal, and is deadly in the box. Shifts it half a yard and then with no back-lift without fail finds the opposite corner.

I still think Sturridge is the best of the 3 if fit and firing, but that's some quandry to have with the 3 of them!

I'm not a huge Henderson fan but he gets around the pitch brilliantly. Nice foil to Dier. And I don't see who you pick over him. Not Milner or Carrick for me, and Wilshere needs to play 6 months of football in a row before we start thinking about him. Weak spots definitely CB and CM.

On LE's point about Sterling and Barkley being hit-and-miss, 12 months ago I'd have said fair enough on Barkley who needed to improve, but harsh on Sterling who had been excellent for 18 months. Sterling has struggled since going to City (but thoughts of him under Guardiola are frightening!) but Barkley has really come on under the radar. 12 goals in 38 games this year.

[TANGODANCER]

Nice to see such availability of good players. Henderson needs to work on his shooting but he worked well Saturday and I wouldn't be looking to change much against a good side like Holland. Still not utterly convinced Stirling is the man, but Sturridge could work well in a few combinations. Kane has more physicality than Vardy although Vardy is a class player. Barclay is a must name on the list, if not right now, then soon. All very positive looking and the team display against Germany was something else. Keep it up....

[BWFC_Insane]

I'm not a huge Henderson fan but he gets around the pitch brilliantly. Nice foil to Dier. And I don't see who you pick over him. Not Milner or Carrick for me, and Wilshere needs to play 6 months of football in a row before we start thinking about him. Weak spots definitely CB and CM.

Drinkwater?

I'd probably pick Milner or Carrick ahead of Henderson in reality.

[Prufrock]

Will be interesting to see how Drinkwater gets on tonight. He's been fantastic for Leicester. Certainly wouldn't have Carrick over Henderson. Our success on Friday was based on keeping our shape, then waiting for the right moment to go after them in 3s and 4s. Carrick didn't have the legs to do it 10 years ago and he certainly doesn't now. He'd be back up for Dier I suppose, but not Henderson. Milner I just don't see as being better than Henderson there. He'll give you 100% sure, but out of position. Each to their own though I suppose!

[BWFC_Insane]

Will be interesting to see how Drinkwater gets on tonight. He's been fantastic for Leicester. Certainly wouldn't have Carrick over Henderson. Our success on Friday was based on keeping our shape, then waiting for the right moment to go after them in 3s and 4s. Carrick didn't have the legs to do it 10 years ago and he certainly doesn't now. He'd be back up for Dier I suppose, but not Henderson. Milner I just don't see as being better than Henderson there. He'll give you 100% sure, but out of position. Each to their own though I suppose!

Suppose so. I mean I just think Henderson is going to be one of those "nearly men". He's nearly good enough in many aspects, but not quite.

I also strongly suspect he'd be the man to miss a crucial penalty in a quarter final shoot-out should one arise...he just has the face/look/feel of a loser who tries ever so hard and puts in a hell of a shift, then misses at the crucial moment.

[TANGODANCER]

I also strongly suspect he'd be the man to miss a crucial penalty in a quarter final shoot-out should one arise...he just has the face/look/feel of a loser who tries ever so hard and puts in a hell of a shift, then misses at the crucial moment.

Kinell, Insaney. Now wonder you have such a negative attitude to Bolton when a player who had a good game against Germany can't match your expectations because he has the face, look,feel of a loser. Love it..

[BWFC_Insane]

I also strongly suspect he'd be the man to miss a crucial penalty in a quarter final shoot-out should one arise...he just has the face/look/feel of a loser who tries ever so hard and puts in a hell of a shift, then misses at the crucial moment.

Kinell, Insaney. Now wonder you have such a negative attitude to Bolton when a player who had a good game against Germany can't match your expectations because he has the face, look,feel of a loser. Love it..

Yeah, it sounds silly. But sometimes players just give off a certain feel. Can't explain it.

[Prufrock]

Ha! No I totally buy that. Comes with playing for Liverpool I suppose.

[TANGODANCER]

Couple of moans tonight (no, not at the ref, I had 17 at him), but a prestige game against somebody like Holland is not the time for experiment, nor can a game be saved by Neil Lennon style three or four subs in the last ten minutes. That we were behind at all was ridiculous, but we weren't sharp tonight. Too many crosses went straight at a competent keeper and Harry Kane had an off night. Two full internationals, friendly or no, is a big ask in three days
and Sturridge was a bit ring-rusty. Barclay and Vardie played well, Milner grafted but our edge up front was blunted by some real clogging and strange decisions. That foul on Jagielka was ridiculous not to be given, it was blatant. There was still a big improvement and the score looks worse than we actually were.

[Prufrock]

John Stones thing is getting ridiculous. He needs rescuing from Bob Martinez. Pissing me off the free pass he keeps getting. Pundits keep saying things like "well, if you want a defender who can play he's going to make mistakes". It's nonsense. There's no reason you can't have a centre half who I the half way line with the ball under control can pick a pass going forward who can also not decide to take someone on 1v1 when he's last man. Ridiculous. So much talent but he needs getting hold of.

Think Barkley and Drinkwater helped their cause. Milner was woeful. Rose poor again after a great performance Friday. The penalty he gave away was 50/50 but he got away with a nailed on one first half. The Jagielka decision was laughable.

[Hoboh]

Couple of moans tonight (no, not at the ref, I had 17 at him), but a prestige game against somebody like Holland is not the time for experiment, nor can a game be saved by Neil Lennon style three or four subs in the last ten minutes. That we were behind at all was ridiculous, but we weren't sharp tonight. Too many crosses went straight at a competent keeper and Harry Kane had an off night. Two full internationals, friendly or no, is a big ask in three days
and Sturridge was a bit ring-rusty. Barclay and Vardie played well, Milner grafted but our edge up front was blunted by some real clogging and strange decisions. That foul on Jagielka was ridiculous not to be given, it was blatant. There was still a big improvement and the score looks worse than we actually were.

I thought we went to pot a little after Sturridge went off, Milner, just no thanks, Patsy Clyne give me a break and as for that stump Lewis Hamilton, yuk!
Played not too bad in a tight game, the Dutch gave us less space than the Germans, thought it was fairly even.

[Dr Hotdog]

It's telling that Henderson was in our starting 11 in Brazil two years ago. And that went well.

Drinkwater did OK in a very tepid game against Holland. Hard to impress with the team as imobile as that. Vardy, tap-in aside when he lost Blind who was ball watching (speak to Manure fans about Blind's ballwatching, they're bored of it), didn't have a great game. Outmuscled and barely made a run in behind. Sturridge didn't do enough for me. Kane is a shoo-in with Alli backing him up. But Woy Hodgson has already made noises about accommodating Rooney, and that's just great because the repugnant oik has a history of really turning it on during the summer international tournaments...

[KeyserSoze]

Harry Redknapp saying today in the Telegraph that Wes Morgan can consider himself unlucky not to have picked up an England cap by now given his performances this season.

Given he already plays for Jamaica it would have been a pretty incredible call up.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Harry Redknapp saying today in the Telegraph that Wes Morgan can consider himself unlucky not to have picked up an England cap by now given his performances this season.

Given he already plays for Jamaica it would have been a pretty incredible call up.

Yeah, but he's an expert. What would you know with all your facts n stuff



(see 2020 thread)

[Worthy4England]

Harry Redknapp saying today in the Telegraph that Wes Morgan can consider himself unlucky not to have picked up an England cap by now given his performances this season.

Given he already plays for Jamaica it would have been a pretty incredible call up.

Yeah, but he's an expert. What would you know with all your facts n stuff



(see 2020 thread)

I'm going to believe Redknapp. I mean how many senior England caps has Keyser got??? I bet it's not as many as Harry.

[boltonboris]

Nothing says "I'm working hard to be fit for club & country" like Wilshere going out the night of his first session back at Arsenal and getting into bother with the police pissed up (and apparently more).

He really doesn't help his cause, but he's been told he's a shoe-in, so what does he care?

[thebish]

not that you'd wish injury on anyone or treat it lightly - but FFS!! Welbeck's off sick for another 9months...

[Prufrock]

Huge loss for England. Very underrated player who adds a hell of a lot on and off it.

[Bruce Rioja]

And here he is in Coming to America!